Use and function of TXRF (total reflection x-ray fluorescence) for routine in fab metallic monitoring

As the geometries of semiconductors shrink the sensitivity to metal contamination becomes more apparent. This makes the ability to detect a broad range of metals at levels form 108 to 109 at/cm2 very important. The advent of Copper processing in many cleanrooms also raises the concern of cross-contamination and highlights the need for a fast, sensitive, and easy to use detection tool. The use of a TXRF machine in the silicon wafer fabrication area provides the ability to measure metals at levels ranging from 5E11 to 1E9 at/cm2 without multiple processing steps.